Chart: Key NFL offseason dates

March 3: Deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition players.

March 8: Teams can contact agents of players who will become free agents on March 11 and begin negotiating.

March 11: By 3 p.m., teams must exercise options on players who have option clauses; must submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents; must submit a minimum tender to retain exclusive rights free agents (players who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit); and must be under the salary cap. At 3 p.m., player contracts expire and free agency begins.

April 7: Because the Vikings have a new coach, they can begin offseason workout programs on this date, 14 days earlier than teams who do not have new coaches. (Teams with new coaches can also have an extra veterans’ minicamp.)

May 2: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

May 7: Deadline for teams to exercise right of first refusal to restricted free agents.